trust is not shaken by negative employees, warns Malik. Effective employees and
managers must quickly rid themselves of negative employees. These employees
can poison the working environment, something that cannot be balanced out,
regardless of how good their performance is. When Malik speaks of trust, he
means not “blind” but “justified” trust, meaning trusting everyone in such a way
as they would wish to be trusted. If trust is abused, then the negative consequences
will be inevitable and far-reaching.
Sixth Principle: A Positive Attitude
Malik does not see management as a system of settling problems or issues. More
important than solving problems, good leaders should recognize the signs of trouble
and assist before real problems can develop. “The principle of thinking positively
has the function of directing the attention of the management toward taking chances”
(Malik 2001, p. 154). This view corresponds to my concept of good leaders having a
plan of action ready for any eventuality. A positive attitude, together with a plan of
action, can lead to new successes.
Positive thinking and preparedness allow us to act on possibilities, not just
impossibilities. Effective employees learn to think constructively. They see
difficulties as challenges and meet them head-on. They always ask themselves,
“What opportunities does this problem present?” and overcome their frustration
using their own strengths. Employees motivate themselves to continue to be
successful in the organization; they do not wait for someone else to motivate
them or pull them out of the trenches. The principle of positive thinking leads
employees to give their best in any situation. The adverse situation is no excuse for
reaching one’s own limitations and not being able to carry out the plan. Positive
thinking is not an innate talent; anyone can learn it. Mental training is effective, since
it can affect emotions, attitudes and our interpretation or evaluation of events and
circumstances. There are many different methods of mental training, and everyone
must find the system that works best for his or her organization.
According to Malik these six principles form a set of behavioral rules to establish
effective, professional management. They can be easily learned by all employees
and up to a certain degree can serve to fill in any gaps in the leadership structure.
Leadership and management theories can be evaluated, implemented and modified
as needed to suit the organization’s structure.
2.1.2.2 The Tasks
Malik divides the central tasks of the upper-level management into specific tasks for
employees and for the management. While tasks of the management are similar in
most societies, they also require specialized knowledge, as well as various teaching
methods for different cultures, industries and enterprises. Modern knowledge-based
and information-based organizations are more sensitive to classical industry and
management errors, making it all the more important that managers control their
34 2 Occupation or Calling: What Makes for Good Leadership?